“Thriassio” General Hospital of Eleusis | Conference “Latsiο Burn Centre 2005–2025: In service of humanity”
On Thursday, October 9, 2025, the Administration of the "Thriassio" General Hospital of Eleusis celebrated the completion of twenty years of operation of the Latsio Burn Center, with a commemorative conference held at the Center’s Amphitheatre.
During the conference, titled “Latsio Burn Center 2005–2025: In service of humanity”, which was held in the presence of Mrs. Marianna J. Latsis and representatives of the John S. Latsis Public Benefit Foundation, a recorded greeting was delivered by the Minister of Health, Mr. Adonis Georgiadis, while attendees included the Deputy Minister of Health, Mr. Marios Themistokleous; the Deputy Minister of National Economy and Finance, Mr. Georgios Kotsiras; the Deputy Minister of Social Cohesion and Family, Mrs. Elena Rapti; the Mayor of Eleusis, Mr. Georgios Georgopoulos; the Mayor of Mandra–Eidyllia, Mr. Armodios Drikos; the Mayor of Aspropyrgos, Mr. Ioannis Ilias; the Deputy Regional Governor of West Attica, Mrs. Athanasia Papaspirou; the President of the "MDA Hellas" Association, Mrs. Vana Lavida; the representative of the Hellenic Society of Plastic Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery, Mrs. Eirini Gamatsi; as well as representatives of the hospital’s medical and nursing staff and a large audience.
At the opening of the event, the Director of the Hospital, Mr. Dimitrios Antoniou, expressed his gratitude to Mrs. Latsis and the Foundation for the substantial contribution of approximately 20 million euros, which made possible the construction and operation of the Center — one of the leading Burn Centers in Southeastern Europe. Mr. Antoniou emphasized that, to date, more than 8,000 patients have been hospitalized in the High Dependency Unit and in general care wards, and over 2,300 patients have been treated in the Intensive Care Unit. He also noted that since 2024, with the support of the John S. Latsis Public Benefit Foundation, a Special Unit for Neuromuscular Diseases has been operating, where more than 150 individuals have been examined to date.
On behalf of the Ministry of Health, Mr. Themistokleous highlighted the efforts made in recent years to strengthen the existing medical and nursing staff of the Center and noted that staff additions will continue. The Deputy Minister of Health expressed his gratitude to Mrs. Latsis and the John S. Latsis Public Benefit Foundation for their contribution, and praised Mrs. Latsis' sensitivity to issues concerning human welfare.
Mrs. Marianna Latsis highlighted the great significance of the Latsio Burn Center’s twenty years of contribution to burn patients and to the National Health System as a whole. She referred to the difficulties and challenges faced during the initial implementation of the donation, but expressed her particular joy and pride that this donation today stands as a shining example of creative collaboration between the public benefit and public sectors of Greece. She also noted that the John S. Latsis Public Benefit Foundation’s commitment to burn care has been long-standing, taking shape both through the continued support of the Latsio Burn Center and through the establishment and support of the Salvia Burn Association, the only non-profit organization in Greece dedicated to burns and burn victims.
Regarding burn injuries and their complications, as well as the Center's achievements, presentations were given by Mrs. Maria Kalofonou, Head Director of the Department of Plastic Surgery and the High Dependency Unit for Burns, and Mr. Nikolaos Markou, Head Director of the Intensive Care Unit. Referring to burn injuries, Mrs. Kalofonou emphasized that, according to the World Health Organization, there are approximately 300,000 deaths and 10 million disabilities caused by burns each year worldwide. She noted that burns are the fourth leading cause of injury in the general population, the second leading cause of injury among children, and the third leading cause of mortality in children aged 0–5 years. In Greece, it is estimated that around 4,000 burn injuries are recorded annually, with approximately 2,500 hospitalisations. Concluding their remarks, Mrs. Kalofonou and Mr. Markou noted that the upgrading of the Center’s infrastructure and its further staffing will further strengthen its future development.
Watch a short video of the Conference below (in Greek):
